Inputs to a television conventionally include signals received via an antenna, a satellite system, or cable. Some televisions are equipped with more than one tuner, allowing a viewer to select from more than one source. In addition, televisions are typically equipped with several input (or source) nodes, allowing the television to receive inputs from multiple devices such as video cassette recorders (VCRs), digital video disk (DVD) players, and even personal computers. Thus, contemporary televisions have the capability to receive inputs from multiple sources and from many different types of peripheral devices.
Similarly, contemporary televisions are equipped with multiple output (or target) nodes to which a signal from a source node can be directed. These target nodes include peripheral devices (such as VCRs and also digital recording devices) that can be used to record an input signal. The television's display device (e.g., the television screen) can also be thought of as a target node.
The modern viewer is thus confronted with a somewhat bewildering number of choices regarding which input is to be viewed and/or recorded, and which target node is to be used for viewing and/or recording. Typically, the viewer attempts to make his or her selections using a remote control (or remote commander) in conjunction with some type of user interface that is displayed on the television's screen.
However, a problem with prior art user interfaces is that only the source name is presented to the user. In addition, the source name is typically a relatively obscure name, such as “Video 1” or “S-video,” that does not provide an indication of the type of device that is connected with the input node.
Consider, for example, a situation in which a first tuner is receiving a broadcast program and the user wishes to send this to a VCR for recording. Separately, two videos are being displayed on the television screen—one video from “Video 1” which may be a DVD player, the other from a second tuner—and the user wishes to select one of these videos for viewing. Using a conventional user interface, selecting the various inputs and directing them to the correct target can be difficult. In general, the user would likely need to know how the television and peripheral devices were set up (that is, which input node is connected with which peripheral device) in order to identify the correct source. In addition, the user would need to know how the VCR is identified and that the DVD player is identified as “Video 1.”
In summary, while television designs have advanced to where inputs can be received from multiple sources and to where those inputs can be directed to a variety of target nodes, prior art user interfaces have not kept pace. Prior art techniques for managing connections between source and target nodes are generally unwieldy when applied to televisions that provide users with a multiplicity of choices.